The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-273647 filed Sep. 10, 2001, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a maintenance method for an image forming system and to an image forming apparatus such as a printer employed in such image forming system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, systems in which multiple clients and multiple printers are connected in offices over a LAN (local area network) and the clients share the printers have been introduced in increasing numbers.
In conventional printers, for maintenance purposes, test prints can normally be output in order to assess the image quality, and the image density and colors can be adjusted via key input operations from the operation panel of the printer.
If a service technician seeks to have each printer connected to such system perform test printing in order to assess the image quality, for example, the technician must perform key input operations on each printer to enable such output. Where there are many printers, the performance of such operations is troublesome and time-consuming. In addition, where an adjustment such as a reduction in image density beyond the normal level for each printer is to be made based on a request by the administrator of the system, such adjustment must be performed for each printer, which is similarly troublesome and time-consuming.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a maintenance method that can reduce to the extent possible the amount of work that must be performed by the service technician during maintenance of image forming apparatuses such as printers that comprise, while being connected to a network such as a LAN, an image forming system, as well as to provide an image forming apparatus used in connection with such maintenance method.
In order to attain this and other objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, the maintenance method for an image forming system comprising first and second image forming apparatuses connected over a network includes a receiving step in which the first image forming apparatus receives input operations for maintenance purposes from the service technician; a first execution step in which maintenance work for the first image forming apparatus is executed based on the contents of the received input operations; a generation step in which an order is generated that indicates that the same maintenance work as that performed based on the contents of the received input operations should be executed; a transmission step in which the generated order is sent to the second image forming apparatus; and a second execution step in which, when the order sent from the first image forming apparatus is received by the second image forming apparatus, the same maintenance work as that performed by the first image forming apparatus is executed based on such order.
It is preferred that the maintenance work be executed in the second execution step when the image forming apparatus is in standby status.
It is furthermore preferred that the maintenance work be executed in the second execution step when no processing that relates to maintenance servicing is being performed.
It is moreover preferred that an obtaining step in which information regarding the skill of the service technician for the current maintenance session and the skill of the service technician for the previous maintenance session is obtained, both of the maintenance sessions having been performed regarding the first image forming apparatus, and a determination step in which it is determined whether or not the service technician for the current maintenance session has superior skill to the service technician for the previous maintenance session be included, wherein the order is sent to the second image forming apparatus in the transmission step when it is determined that the service technician for the current maintenance session has a higher level of skill than the service technician for the previous maintenance session.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the maintenance method for an image forming system comprising an administrating apparatus, a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected over a network includes a receiving step in which the first image forming apparatus receives input operations for maintenance purposes from the service technician; a first execution step in which maintenance work for the first image forming apparatus is executed based on the contents of the received input operations; a generation step in which an order is generated that indicates that the same maintenance work as that performed based on the contents of the received input operations should be executed; a transmission step in which the generated order is sent to the administrating apparatus; a forwarding step in which, when the order is received from the first image forming apparatus, the administrating apparatus sends such order to the second image forming apparatus; and a second execution step in which, when the order is received from the administrating apparatus, the second image forming apparatus executes the same maintenance work as that performed by the first image forming apparatus based on such order.
It is preferred that an identification information receiving step in which the first image forming apparatus receives input of the information that identifies the service technician, an identification information sending step in which such service technician identification information is sent to the administrating apparatus, and an output step in which the description of the service technician identification information sent from the administrating apparatus is output by the second image forming apparatus be included, wherein the service technician identification information is sent to the second image forming apparatus together with the order from the first image forming apparatus in the forwarding step.
The invention itself, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.